Jennica Larrison

Jennica Larrison

assistant professorSchool of Public and International Affairs

Contact Information:

Ph.D., The George Washington UniversityM.P.I.A., University of California, San DiegoB.A., University of Texas at Austin

My love for global affairs evolved out of my personal observations growing up in a migrant-rich community in West Texas and my professional experience working with communities across the globe. As a child, large-scale immigration in my town affected all aspects of my life, ranging from the company I kept, the food I ate, and the language I spoke, to the overall prosperity of my small oil town. As I got older, I began to question not only state and federal policies on immigration, but I also began to think about the world beyond my own state and national borders. This led me to pursue degrees in international affairs and public policy.

Many years later, as a Human Development Specialist at the World Bank, I worked on social welfare, migration and education policy in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This experience furthered my love for global affairs, as I worked intimately with rural and urban communities, government leaders, community organizations, non-governmental organizations and academics to address policy concerns.

Today, my research integrates my childhood observations with my professional training. My latest research examines the distinctions between how migration is experienced, portrayed and legislated; I am currently writing about the interactions between child migrants and public administrators. In addition, I am interested in the role that individuals play in labor and social welfare policies, and I am currently writing on individual’s perceptions of social welfare in Eastern Europe and its potential impact on reform.

In the classroom, I draw upon my experiences as a practitioner focusing on the importance of communication and the exchange of ideas. I have previously taught at the George Washington University and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). At the University of Baltimore, I teach graduate courses in the Global Affairs and Human Security Program, as well as undergraduate courses in International Studies. I am thrilled to be part of a community as dynamic and exciting as UB.

Larrison was recently named a National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar. She is one of 16 inter-disciplinary university professors who will participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar entitled, “The Cross-Border Connection: Immigrants, Emigrants, and their Homelands," to be held at the University of California, Los Angeles from June 15 through July 17, 2015.